


Daejang's Wedding

by belana



Category: Korean Drama, 신의 | Faith | The Great Doctor
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-09 12:00:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4347917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belana/pseuds/belana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>exactly what it says on the tin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Свадьба генерала](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/128828) by tapatunya. 



> Thanks to AkkiTheWolf for beta-reading!

_“A man is standing on a crossroads between life and death. What should he do?”_

_“Supress his ambivalence, let the sword calmly stand against the sky.”_

_From Kusunoki Masashige’s conversations with his sensei_

 

He was thinking about it the whole day – while giving orders and talking with the King, setting a trap and holding a bow, that for now replaced the unruly sword. Later when he returned, looking after such dangerous captives, he was thinking too. About what would happen this night. He tried to imagine what it would be like, but couldn’t.

He started thinking about it some time earlier, since the moment he suddenly realized, that she was his woman and she came to him willingly. There was nothing outside these walls, and an unbelievable future suddenly flashed like a sunbeam, cutting through a thick fog and lighting their way, that it was impossible not to see.

As if this woman knew the meaning of the word ‘impossible’.

Maybe he thought about it when he felt her breath on his cold hand. That one day he’d have someone to return to.

Yesterday was a terrible day, the night wasn’t much better. Eun-soo slept, and even asleep she was scared. He didn’t dare to touch her for a long time, then he gently patted her hair. She whimpered like a child, like the King Chungjeong used to, and mumbled ‘Mommy’.

Doctor Jang was probably her first great loss. He was strong and kind, Choi Young respected him, but he had so many more of such losses. Daejang lost them every year – kind and strong warriors, almost friends, more than friends, people who trusted him with their lives. He almost got used to it, but her pathetic ‘Mommy’ suddenly reminded him, that it was impossible to get used to it.

Choi Young barely remembered his mother, his world was dominated by father, then his teacher, then his kings who tended to die. He knew next to nothing about Eun-soo’s world from which he pulled her by force. He rarely understood her ramblings about it, but he knew that she had parents in Heaven, that they had a farm in the countryside, that they were waiting for their daughter and that she missed them terribly. There were many things that she loved in Heaven: strange establishments called ‘bars’, something called ‘kimchi’, her shiny instruments and round pills. She could do a lot of good in Heaven and very little in this world. Here, she did her best to survive.

A thin strand of hair meekly wound around his wrist. He was still crouched at her bed, as if in ambush. The sun was rising, he still couldn’t move away as if scared to disturb this strand of hair so trustingly clinging to his hand.

He never even tried to imagine, what would happen after the Great Doctor returned home. He forbade himself such thoughts, but they crept under the armour, clawing sharply at his insides. Tonight, he was thinking not about the life without her, but the life with her.

It was so… stupid. As stupid as only truly alive people could think.

 

* * *

 

She awoke with a smile on her face. Choi Young was so astonished, that he even looked back before leaving – had he imagined it? How could she still smile?

He left her, of course – sleepy and warm, skin a little flushed from sleep and eyes shining. The whole long and busy day he did his best to predict, what would happen on his return. Choi Young tried to imagine, what she was doing; he imagined her walking in his – their – room, bending over her bowls and pots, counting minutes and steps. He cursed the whole world for leaving her alone and remembered her words: ‘Who needs a husband like you, who kills people all the time?’

Husband…

These were completely bizarre thoughts. It was no wonder, that the sword kept escaping his grasp again and again. It probably didn’t want to see its owner’s pathetic doubts. Choi Young wanted to turn away too.

He dashed to the barracks, frightening everyone with his grim expression and tried to remember how wide his bed was. Was it narrow enough? Not narrow enough? His head was reeling. Eun-soo was from Heaven, who knew what she expected of him. Maybe she didn't expect anything, which was even worse.

A whole night together. In the dark and the security of stone, so close together.

If only no one died.

He'd tell her that he missed her. He would. It wasn't that difficult. He only needed to open his mouth and utter several simple words. After all, he did leave her alone for the whole day. He was in a hurry to get back, but still, he was returning after dark. She had a right for some consolation.

Choi Young heard the Woodalchi's laughter and her clear voice. The Great Doctor cheerfully ordered his men around, and they obeyed like puppies. He froze for a moment in the shadows, taking in the absurdity of the scene. Eun-soo held a huge ladle, the most dangerous men in this country waited in line with tiny cups in their hands. Fruit tonic? What the hell?

White-hot band moved lower wrapping around his neck like a noose. He couldn't breathe.

His tough woman was in no mood to brood locked away and alone. She gathered fruit and made a tonic. She had a bleeding pestilent sore on her arm. Yesterday, she lost her only friend. Now, she was hiding from assassins, she was surrounded by warriors smelling of sweat and lectured them on the nutritional effects of the drink, as if nothing happened. Dae-man would for certain get another helping, because he grew up in the mountains all alone and thus had some advantage (once she explained it to Choi Young in detail, but he didn't understand much).

He was absolutely sure there was no one like her in Heaven.

He should have reprimanded her for plucking the trees instead of hiding, but Eun-soo and the Woodalchi looked at him with such anticipation, that Choi Young suddenly realized that for the first time in their lives his boys could choose to stand against him.

Eun-soo was more than just the Great Doctor or the leader's woman to them. She was their hope that someday blood and sweat would turn into light giving life, not death — for each and every one of them.

Victories and glory sooner or later loose all importance and meaning.

He was still mulling over the idea, when everyone smiled and relaxed. Choi Young realized that all of them followed his example.

Later, when he was pouring water over himself, fretting if he missed a drop of blood (truth be told, he was covered in it from head to toe) he still tried to figure out a way to explain to her what he felt. He couldn't explain it even to himself.

 

* * *

 

First he had to ask about the most important thing, of course, about the potions brewing in her wonder pots, about the thing that brought hope, but Eun-soo played foul and let down her hair. Choi Young immediately got lost in its smell and ever-changing colour. It seemed to him, that he was in a rolling boat, not on the ground, he didn't hear or understand a thing. The damned hand betrayed him again, but it didn't matter now.

The Great Doctor said 'Pull', funny, wasn't it? If he pulled in earnest he'd have broken her arm so he concentrated on breathing (he learned a special technique back with the Jeokwoldae, how to breathe right when everything was unbearable). He spent all the strength he had on self-control — he was, after all, Choi Young, the Kings' pillar of strength, it was ludicrous not to uphold the reputation. So he even pushed her off the bed, then got scared that he'd be too late, but managed to grab her arm, pull her closer — gently, easy, she was so unbelievably fragile — and closed his eyes waiting, carefully not thinking about the way her hair tickled his chin.

Could Eun-soo get up and leave him?

She was his woman after all. She came to him willingly. And she even asked once 'Can I stay?' as if he had an answer to that!

Eun-soo lied down beside him, quiet and obedient. Occasionally, she could be obedient. But only with him because she chose him long ago. She even threatened to kill herself because she chose him, but Choi Young was still frightened like a boy. He offered her a hand. Time seemed to stretch like honey. He finally felt her pulse beating into his own wrist.

She felt everyone's pulse so often that Choi Young became an expert against his own will.

He was just laying there and counting. On count ten...

He didn't tell her that he missed her and was worried sick over her, now it was impossible to talk, and...

He'd kissed her before, but that was business, enemies were all around, and everything was wrong. Later in the frowzy dungeon he tried to revive the taste of her lips, but he was out of luck.

Choi Young raised on his elbow scanning her delicate face. Eun-soo's eyes were closed, but eyelids fluttered a little, and lips too. Everything was clear from the start, but it didn't become any easier. He just barely touched her temple with his lips, involuntarily noting shadows under her eyes. Then Eun-soo sighed, shook off his hand and twined her arms about his neck. Only then he bowed lower and found her lips.

So this was how it felt.

He kissed her slowly, the way he dreamed of, relishing in the softness and pliantness. The whole world disappeared behind the darkness of closed eyes, the only thing left was the smell, the taste and the gentle hands. She tugged at his hair, touched his face, snuggled closer, breathed somewhere into his exposed heart. Choi Young realized that he couldn't take the burn of every touch anymore. He pulled away gulping for air, opened his eyes trying to regain the equilibrium and failing because he saw Eun-soo's hair spilled all over the pillow, her unfocused stare, full lips and most importantly — the expression of great loss on her face.

He immediately got scared that he upset her, hugged her with such force that she gasped, then laughed. He laughed too somewhere into her neck, kissed her again moving lower. The coarseness of ill-placed fabric bewildered him: what? how? The flaps of their dresses got tangled up, the ties refused to undo, the hands shook so badly that they couldn't get rid of these layers at once. He even growled irritated: why did this woman have to wear so many things? — but then it got better because both of them succeeded. Choi Young froze for a second taking in the sight of mostly naked Eun-soo: goosebumps, collarbones, delicate shoulders, small breasts. She didn't move, allowing him to see. The time halted to a stop, became a silvery web. He didn't have any willpower left.

"Let me..."

He didn't know what he was asking, but Eun-soo apparently did and moved closer. Choi Young licked her breast. He meant to kiss it, but for some reason licked it. The web burst, the time rushed on, even faster than usual. He wrapped his arms around Eun-soo, she became so close, so overpowering. She rocked backward, Choi Young got scared — he was so heavy! — but this woman entwined her arms and legs around him, not allowing him to move away. The sky was reflected in the wide-open eyes. The sky that wasn't even visible in this tiny room.

 

* * *

 

Later when he didn't yet know it was all over, when he opened his eyes near that tree and saw the sky, Choi Young remembered those moments and smiled imagining how many more of them they'd have. He was lying in the grass and smiling at the sun. Hours passed like minutes, Eun-soo still wasn't there. He was almost worried when the night came, then the day.

Three days later the Queen came and led him by the hand away from the portal that closed for the next sixty seven years.

For five years he didn't dare to look up in order not to feel the weight of his loss. But he felt it all the same.

And he waited, lost his mind and continued to believe grinding his teeth.

He wasn't overly surprised when he heard footsteps behind his back. He recognized them before he turned around. He hesitated for a moment staring at the clouds, then looked over his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Choi Young imagined many times what he’d do when the Great Doctor would return. She even taught him that. He’d hold out a hand for a handshake – it was the custom in her world.

He imagined it many times, but forgot everything once he saw her face. It was a little different from what he remembered. It was… calmer? As if some new knowledge lighted her skin from the inside, the eyes shone, the lips were pink, not pale as they used to be.

En-soo looked great, much better than during their last meeting. It was obvious that no one poisoned or tried to kill her any other way for a while. She ate and slept well, he was grateful that she took such care of herself. Her hat and a strange outfit, though, made him think of something else.

“I asked you,” he said and fell silent scared by the coarseness of his voice. He started anew: “I asked you not to roam alien worlds!”

Sadly, nothing gentler came out.

Then this woman threw her head back and laughed. The hat fell backwards revealing loose hair. The silvery laughter seemed to reach the sky and return as an echo.

She came back. She really, truly did.

Choi Young didn’t catch onto the fact yet, but the body still lunged forward, his hands seized this laughing woman, lips touched her exposed neck.

She did come back.

Eun-soo stopped laughing, touched his face and said surprised, “What is this? Stubble?”

He instantly understood that it should never appear on his face again.

“Rumour has it,” Eun-soo continued, but her voice broke. She whispered, articulating carefully, “that you chase Yuan armies around the countryside like rabbits. I’m so proud of you, Daejang.”

The sound of this voice, these words broke something in him. The world went dark before his eyes, he swayed a little. She swayed too, copying his moves.

“Never… Never again… Not a step away… that I always know where you are!”

“Yes, Daejang.”

He couldn't decide whether there was more laughter or tenderness in her voice. He shut his eyes and hugged Eun-soo soaking in the smell of herbs, female skin and something else that made him feel hot and cold at the same time. She turned somehow, he felt her breath on his lips and fell into the kiss as if it were a river.

It felt right: a vibrant woman was in his arms, her heart was beating into his chest, her lips were parted, Choi Yoing could exchange all the treasures of the world for a low moan from her. Hot tears of happiness (his? hers?) wet the cheeks, and the whole world was quiet.

Apart from a patter of feet.

Choi Young groaned through clenched teeth, allowed himself another second of joy, then slowly, very slowly, broke the kiss, straightened and took Eun-soo's hand.

"Are you hungry?"

"What?"

She was so amazed that it became instantly clear that she didn't hear the footsteps even though Dae-man was stomping like an elephant.

"The food will arrive shortly," ChoiYoung explained smiling at her astonishment. "When did you eat the last time?"

She blinked like a child waking up.

"Not in this century, that's for sure," she said hesitantly. Then she smiled again. "You see, I just ordered the food, but then I saw the Woodalchi and didn't have time to eat it."

Choi Young couldn't help himself: he peppered her face with kisses, even though Dae-man was so close.

"Daejang! Daejang!"

Dae-man appeared on top of the nearest hill, ran a few more steps mechanically, then stopped dead in his tracks shading his eyes. He gasped, and started running again carefully holding a bundle with food. When Dae-man approached them, he put the bundle on the nearest stone and bowed to the Great Doctor so low that he never did for his Daejang, never mind kings.

When he straightened, it turned out that he was almost crying.

"I told them," he said in a voice that implied he continued an old and boring argument, "that you'll come back! And they said..." He sobbed.

Eun-soo hugged the dear lad with one hand (which, it seemed, embarrassed him even more), because Choi Young didn't let go of the other one.

"A picnic!" Eun-soo announced and stopped making Dae-man blush. "We'll have a picnic!"

"A what?" the men asked in unison.

"Eating in the open. In Heaven people take baskets and go to parks..."

"Dae-man is not hungry," Daejang snapped and kicked the man for a good measure. Dae-man jumped away and nodded several times smiling and wiping away the tears. Then he finally saw Daejang's face, something clicked in his head, and he shouted, "Our Doctor is back!"

He turned around and ran back to the village.

"Well, now all the Woodalchi will come to look at the Great Doctor."

Eun-soo stole a glance at Choi Young.

"There are so many new faces."

He was too happy to notice bitterness in her voice. He sat down on a stone, tugged her down too, put the bundle before them and paused: it was difficult to untie it with one hand.

"I'm not going to disappear," Eun-soo said.

Choi Young wasn't so sure about it. Then she took both his hands, put them on her waist and started untying the bundle.

"Rumour has it," she said, "that you've been sitting here for four days."

"How long have you been here?" he asked nestling his forehead against her back.

"I've heard so many rumours already!"

She laughed and turned to face him.

"Eat," she ordered in her doctor's voice. "You lost so much weight that only the stubble is left."

Choi Young shook his head and looked at her eating. He soon realized that he was close to tears again.

She was here, she was eating. And she's all his.

Something must have changed in his eyes because Eun-soo stopped chewing, gulped and reached out for him. The bungle fell to the ground, but they didn't notice it.

"We need," Choi Young mumbled, "to see the King."

"Really?" She was surprised. "Right now?"

He sighed patiently and righted her hair (he vaguely recalled that he created a bird's nest in her hair this time) and explained gravely, "It will be very difficult for me to marry you without the King's permission."

"Marry?"

It was unbelievably painful to say that he bought a wedding garment for her several years ago, and when he felt really low he took it out of the box and smoothed it out. So Choi Young just nodded, mesmerized by a sunbeam on her face.

"Marry," she repeated pensively and smiled. Somehow he understood right away that it wouldn't be that easy. "In my world when a man proposes he hides a ring inside a cake which waiters bring in."

"What?"

"You must stand on one knee and say, _Imja, I love you, please, be my wife_."

He didn't quite understand the part about the cake and waiters (who puts rings into food? You could lose all your teeth!), but obediently dropped to one knee.

"Imja..."

She waited nodding approvingly. Feeling like a performing monkey Choi Young shook his head, sighed, grabbed her by the waist, put her onto his lap and started untying the knots on her hat. Eun-soo fell silent suddenly losing all the sassiness. He finally managed to untie everything, threw the hat back, moved away the collar of her dress and that strange vest and put his finger on her pulse point.

Well, here goes.

"I bought you many pretty dresses and jewelry. Wherever I went I visited the market and imagined what you'd pick. I... Every night I went to bed and asked _Are you there?_ I knew for certain that you did the same, and the day will come when we won't be asking an empty space. We'll go to bed and wake up together. I was with you every minute."

"I know," she said blinking away the tears.

"But now... we have to go because I saw at least five Woodalchi over that hill, and I'm still their Daejang, and..."

"Yes," she said without moving, "we need to see the King."

She stood up and was upset to find the food on the ground.

"You left me hungry again," she laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

Eun-soo suddenly felt weak, she stumbled, her hand was escaping Choi Young's grip. The village was close, but not close enough, so he carried his woman. She didn't even try to protest, only snuggled closer and whispered, "It must be the happiness... that makes me weak."

Choi Young didn't ask anything, the Woodalchi were all around. The newcomers stared at the wondrous doctor they've heard so much about. Choi Young wanted to shout at them, but decided against it since Eun-soo would be startled. The newcomers didn't understand yet when to fade into the thin air, the bunch of the experienced warriors read the expression on the Daejang's face correctly and pushed the newbies aside.

"Where are you staying?"

"I dropped the bag and the staff at the inn. It's new."

"The Yuan army burned the old one down three years ago."

She didn't ask anything else, but Choi Young knew exactly what she was thinking of: about the years she was not here.

He remembered his return to the old inn: he roamed through the empty rooms recalling the woman who fearlessly and expertly stitched the wound on the Queen's neck, who always tried to sneak away (and even succeeded once), who looked around with fear and distrust clutching a funny bag as if it were a protective charm. That woman put a sword through him, then healed him, then forbade him to die and tried to order him around saying something about his gases. When Choi Young first carried her, she kicked so hard. The weight of her woke long-forgotten feelings in him. When he first met her, her lips were bright red, its movements mesmerized him. A day later the lips were pale, there was a cut in the corner of her mouth and a bruise on her cheek, but she looked even more determined.

His woman.

Choi Young didn't know anything about her then, but the armour of familiar indifference cracked under the rush of curiosity toward such a strange creature.

And then the inn burned down. Choi Young was upset like he lost an old friend.

"The King became a more experienced politician," he said to Eun-soo, who fell silent. "But the Queen didn't give the country an heir."

She asked something, but he couldn't make it out, he only felt a rush of air against his neck.

"The Court lady Choi still runs things and even tried to marry me off last year," he said at random.

"She loves you."

"She was so devastated when you disappeared that I thought that she needed a daughter-in-law just to make up for your loss."

Eun-soo laughed and wiggled. Choi Young was afraid that she'd ask him to let her go. When will he have another chance to carry her into the best room in the inn with a worried expression on his face?

"We have a new court doctor. He's too sweet, you won't like him."

"I'm sure I will."

Choi Young frowned, maneuvered himself and his load through the doorframe, instantly recognized Eun-soo's things (a black bag clearly made in Heaven), grabbed them and ordered, "Dae-man, tell them to bring food to my room!"

"Yes, Daejang," a voice answered — too close for Choi Young's liking.

He almost flew up the stairs, but snapped from above, "Choong-seok! Change the patrols! Why are they so pathetic?"

Eun-soo looked over his shoulder and winked encouragingly or smiled at Choong-seok, or both. She didn't look very tired from her travels in time.

"He has soft muscles," Choi Young continued.

"Who does?"

"The new court doctor..."

To tell the truth, Eun-soo could walk, the weakness passed, but Choi Young preferred not to notice it.

He entered the room, looked around noting the scant firnishings (an hour ago it didn't matter to him) and sat on the bed.

"You need to rest."

"I'm not tired," she objected taking in the surroundings.

He ignored it.

"We'll spend the night here, there's no point in riding out in the evening..."

He lost the train of thought when he saw her inhale deeply.

"You're not planning to sleep in the stables, are you?" Eun-soo asked suspiciously.

In fact, he did, because it was one thing to share a room with a woman to save her life, and it was quite another thing to do the same with no immediate danger in sight. He'd have gone mad in the stables, of course, because Eun-soo was so close, but he couldn't see and touch her.

"No, I won't," Choi Young smiled.

She stared at him.

"I forgot your smile," she explained hoarsely. "I always remembered you wounded, scowling or worried."

He reached out for the bedside drawer without letting Eun-soo go and pulled out a piece of paper.

"The King drew your portrait from memory, but no matter how long I looked at it I didn't see you there."

Eun-soo studied the picture for a while, then laughed, "It's not me, it's the Queen. Maybe he sees his Queen in every woman."

There was a knock on the door. Choi Young stood up quickly, put Eun-soo to bed, covered her with a blanket and said, "Be still!"

The door opened.

The innkeeper's wife brought the food and drinks herself. Dae-man lingered on the doorstep.

"The Great Doctor is not feeling well," Choi Young said to him. "I'll look after her."

Dae-man nodded gravely.


	4. Chapter 4

It rained in the evening. Choi Young remembered the day the Queen was attacked, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't recall his own thoughts and wishes of that day. He remembered only weariness of every day that was similar to the previous or the next one.

Eun-soo once asked him what his life would have been like if he didn't meet her. He answered then that he couldn't imagine such a life anymore. Maybe it was true, because he could forget years that felt like centuries and drown in mere minutes that hulked up like boulders that could block a mountain pass. He stared at Eun-soo till his eyes hurt. She's come to her senses, eaten, pleated her hair, she attempted to go downstairs 'to meet everyone', talked a mile a minute, stopped in midsentence, in the middle of all this babbling and smiles she cried not noticing it till he wiped the tears from her cheeks, hugged Choi Young impulsively, then pushed him away. She was surprised when he touched her cheek and looked down.

There was bustle in the corridor that stopped every time when Choong-seok slowly walked by. The innkeeper's wife came with a bucket of hot water for the guest from Heaven to wash her face, but Eun-soo said, "I'll be tending to you."

She walked behind him, and Choi Young felt a sudden pain because he couldn't see her, then he felt the leather armour ease and started shaking.

The reason was simple: his woman was taking the armour off.

It seemed impossible this morning.

Eun-soo froze pressing her palms to his back. She needed a moment to get used to it too.

Then she crossed the room quickly, crouched by her bag and rummaged through it. She smiled over her shoulder, "Don't be afraid," - and took her instruments out.

Choi Young didn't ask why she needed them, it didn't matter. The most important thing was that he saw Eun-soo, it was enough. Meanwhile she soaped her hands and nodded at a chair, "Sit down."

Choi Young obeyed still not asking questions. She frowned, "Where is your usual _What_?"

"What?"

"Good." She leaned in and touched his cheeks with soapy hands. A small knife glistened in the light of the only lamp in the room.

"These are other instruments," she explained, "I brought them..."

He prayed silently that she wouldn't put on her glasses. He liked to look at her face, to see her frown, bite her lip and whisper, "I'm a plastic surgeon, for god's sake, I know how to handle a scalpel!"

Choi Young didn't mean it to happen, but his hands landed on her hips without his conscious wish.

"Don't move," Eun-soo ordered.

He didn't, his face was absolutely still, but the hands moved to her waist. He waited till she drew the scalpel away from his face to check the newly shaven skin and pulled her onto his lap.

"Don't go," he asked quietly. "Don't be so far away."

She looked so serious like she was stitching a severely wounded man, not shaving him. She inhaled sharply when he grabbed a fistful of her dress above her knee.

"You have an awful beard on all your portraits," Eun-soo whispered and moved even closer. "But I think it was an artistic license."

Choi Young froze remembering that she visited his grave.

It was too much for him to handle.

He wasn't startled by the fact that there was a world where he was dead (that happens to everyone sooner or later), but by the knowledge that Eun-soo's carried and lived with. She managed not to go mad sorting all this information out. She sat in his lap, shaved him with Heavenly instruments and seemed content.

"I love you," she said quietly.

"What?"

"That thing you're feeling. It's called 'I love you'. That's exactly the feeling."

She was so close, stands of her hairs touched his face turning into soaky icicles. Choi Young saw her every mole and wrinkle, his own reflection in her irides. He took a towel from the table without looking and wiped his face. He hugged her so close that their lips were almost touching and said, "No, it's so, so much more than just words."

He realized that he'd die before he'll be able to immortalize his name if he wouldn't be able to have Eun-soo, the whole of her, like he did once in the Woodalchi barracks.

A long time ago when Choi Young was a boy his father took him to a shaman. The man said that one day Choi Young would be touched by Heavenly fire, and that fire wouldn't burn him, but would make him a great warrior. His whole life Choi Young thought that the shaman meant the power of lightening, a gift from Heaven, but now realized he was wrong.

He'll become great not because of the lightenings or his skills as a warrior, but because of this woman in his arms. He swept his hands over her shoulders getting rid of the vest. He tugged Eun-soo up, turned her around and slowly, so slowly untied the knot of her belt. The fabric obediently fell to the floor. Choi Young hugged from behind pressing her bare back to his chest. Eun-soo's head lolled onto his shoulder, he touched her neck with his lips remembering the taste. His fingers were prickling, he was afraid that he was going to throw lightenings around.

Eun-soo turned around kissing and hugging him. She couldn't take the clothes off, her agility was gone. It seemed she didn't want to move away an inch, her helplessness made his head spin even more. The slow burn faded turning into desire, Choi Young was in a hurry clinging to the shreds of self-control. All his skills were useless, tenderness filled him up, he remembered the need to breathe only once in a while.

They didn't find the bed, it was too far away, and settled on the floor. Its coldness cooled him, a table leg was constantly biting into his shoulder, he was afraid that Eun-soo was uncomfortable and kept putting his palms under her knees so she wouldn't touch the floor. She touched his chest and shoulders, leaned in for kisses, straightened, threw her head back allowing him to see all of her.

Outside the storm raged, the wind rattled the building, and Choi Young thought that they were in the middle of that storm.

Hours later when they found the bed, the storm subsided and Eun-soo was fast asleep clinging to Choi Young he was still holding her hand and was afraid to close his eyes even for a moment. He wasn't scared of falling asleep, rather he didn't want to wake up alone like the previous one thousand and five hundred mornings.

Choi Young reasoned with himself that this time was different, that he wouldn't be waking alone for many years now, but in the end decided to stay awake to be sure.


	5. Chapter 5

Sleepy Woodalchi snapped to attention and listened to his orders. The new recruits didn't have enough self-control and gaped as their composed Daejang got busy so early in the morning instead of sitting under the tree.

Eun-soo was sleeping when he dressed quietly and left the room. He was so full of energy that he couldn't stay in bed anymore. While Choi Young exercised, washed, scared the living daylight out of the watchmen so they stayed alert, discussed breakfast for the Great Doctor with the innkeeper's wife, perused letters intercepted from Yuan with Choong-seok, reworked the attack strategy of his army, reasoned with Dae-man, clipped Dae-man around the ear, gave due credit to Dae-man he kept frowning and looking at his sword. The people around him kept smiling like madmen, though, as if he sang marching songs and danced Cheoyongmu.

There was no point in dragging the whole army back to the capital when there was an offensive planned, other military units were coming here too. So Choi Young rattled off instructions, repeated the things his men already knew and finally decided to train the new recruits himself because he didn't find anything else to do while his woman was sleeping. And he needed to stop checking their room to see if she was still there.

It was broad daylight when he returned, it was time to leave. Choi Young was determined to wake Eun-soo up, but he heard her voice close to the inn and walked faster trying not to run, then watched the show unfold from around a convenient corner.

She was getting acquainted with the Woodalchi, with every one of them. She came to each one, said her name and shook his hand up and down. She gave a 'high five' to those she already knew.

The lads blushed, elbowed each other and stared. The owner of the inn was grinning into his whiskers and obviously enjoying the show. All the people from the village were watching too. It was clear that the news of the Great Doctor's return will soon be carried around all of Goryeo and several bordering countries.

Village children were enthusiastically copying Eun-soo's gestures, several women wore yellow garlands in their hair.

"Daejang!"

He passed by the curious onlookers, embarrassed warriors, disheveled children and stopped a step away from Eun-soo who fell silent. She thought for a moment, then bowed to him respectfully looking down to hide laughter in her eyes. He bowed too and said, "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, Daejang."

"It's time to go then."

Dae-man was already leading the horses when Eun-soo suddenly darted off to an elderly woman who was holding a wide-brimmed hat.

"Ajumma, drink this extract before breakfast! I'll send you herbal tea later!"

It took them another hour to leave the village. Choi Young contemplated kidnapping her and riding away before she said all her good-byes.

It was one of Eun-soo's most curious skills: wherever she ended up it always seemed that she was born, raised and planned to die there.

When they finally left the village Choi Young stopped the horses he was leading by the bridles and said, "I'll help you up."

Eun-soo rested her hands on his shoulders, looked around and quickly kissed his chin.

If she didn't he wouldn't have dared.

"I'll ride with you."

Eun-soo turned around.

"But the horse will grow tired of carrying two people."

"We have a spare one," he smiled and tied the bridle of the spare horse to the cantle.

Eun-soo leaned lower hiding her face in the horse's mane, but Choi Young knew she was smiling.

He swung himself into the saddle, put a hand on her waist and only then realized that he’d just made a huge mistake.

It was very difficult to concentrate on the road when this woman was so close.

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked covering his hand with her own.

"No."

"And I slept well for the first time in months. I didn't have any nightmares."

 

* * *

 

The sun has set when they arrived in Gaegyeong. They were riding two horses and wearing unremarkable cloaks with hoods over their heads. Choi Young wasn't really worried (for once there was peace in the country), more like he didn't want to meet the Suribang right away. Let them have another quiet night before they learn that Choi Young will leave the Great Doctor in their care. They were good people, after all.

The palace guards let Daejang and his companion in without asking any questions.

The King was in the garden as was expected. For several years now the royal couple rigorously has been following the Great Doctor's instructions, 'walk every day after supper, it's good for digestion'. Choi Young left Eun-soo under the shadow of trees and approached them.

"Daejang." The Queen who recognized him first sounded surprised.

When the Court lady Choi saw her nephew she grew suspicious just in case: he wasn't supposed to be in the capital now. Choi Young kneeled before his King and paused. The King knew that trick and waited for Daejang to speak up.

"I came to ask your permission to wed, Your Majesty."

"What?" The King was genuinely amazed and forgot for a second that he was an seasoned politician and manipulator. Before Choi Young could answer, before the Queen rose from a wicker chair, before Eun-soo entered the scene the Court lady Choi who stood nearby leaned in and clipped her only relative around the ear. Hard. Then she straightened and continued pretending to be a statue.

"Stupid boy! You can't marry because you've lost hope," she hissed without moving a muscle.

The expression on her face was so harsh it was hard to believe that she tried to pick a bride for him not so long ago saying that life was short and loneliness was a bad companion. Choi Young was right to think she was bluffing. If he actually tried to marry all hell'd have broken loose.

"This is quite unexpected," the King said.

The Queen was already on her feet, though, and looked around smiling. Choi Young admired her at that moment. The Yuan princess who gave her heart to Goryeo put two and two together sooner than the others.

"Where is she?" Her Majesty cried out. "How can it be?"

Seeing her so agitated Choi Young remembered the day the Queen came for him to the closed Heaven Doors, took his hand and led him away. He was too numb and disbelieving. He remembered the way he rested his head on her lap. The Queen comforted him as if he were a child, she said that he must not lose hope for Eun-soo's sake who will find the way back. The Queen insisted that Eun-soo would have never left willingly, ergo, she'd return. Choi Young felt better knowing that two people waited for the Great Doctor to return all these years.

He rose and looked around. Eun-soo was already running toward them, the hood fell back, her hair was tangled due to long ride, her eyes were shining.

She approached them, stopped, tried to catch her breath and bow, but the Queen surprised everyone again. She hugged Eun-soo laughing and crying at the same time.

Choi Young could swear he saw tears in the Court lady Choi's eyes, but they evaporated too shocked by their boldness. His aunt pursed her lips and stood still.

Meanwhile the King rose a fist high up.

"As they say in Heaven," he commented quietly, " _Oh yesss!_ "

"I'll have to return to the Yalu river in a couple of days," Choi Young said carefully controlling his expression. "While I'm away I'd like the Court lady Choi started preparation for the wedding..."

"I have everything already arranged," the Queen said quickly finally letting Eun-soo go. "I had it all planned a while ago."

Finally the Court lady Choi allowed herself to nod content.


	6. Chapter 6

"When are you leaving?" Eun-soo turned to face him. Choi Young thought that his aunt was going to have a heart attack: the Great Doctor turned her back to the King.

"Later," he mouthed.

Eun-soo was smart, she didn't ask any questions, smiled and was merry, answered the questions of the royal couple, greeted a Buddhist monk the King’d welcomed to court lately.

Shin-don was a rather plain and big man. His mother was a slave, his father was a nobleman. Shin-don couldn't become a monk because of his ancestry, Choi Young found him deep in the mountains where the man'd spent several years as a hermit. The Suribang mentioned him saying he was smart. It turned out to be true.

By the virtue of the King's favour Shin-don received an official status of a scholar and a monk, but he was also respected by both civil and army officials. Choi Young also liked his ideas.

It seemed Shin-don intrigued Eun-soo. For some reason he kept talking about advantages of Confucianism. Choi Young saw her press her lips together, it was the only sign that the meeting upset her.

When the meeting finally ended Eun-soo dragged him to the hospital. Deo-ki dropped the mortar where she was powered some herbs and talked at length. But doctor Jang was dead, it was impossible to understand her quick gestures. The impossible woman from Heaven, though, did because she caught Deo-ki's hands, said with feeling, "Me too!" - and hugged the girl.

People in the palace never hugged so many times as today.

The new doctor, Sang-hun, came. He was dressed in unbelievably azure clothes, smelled of magnolias, and his face was powdered like he were a woman. Choi Young was afraid that Eun-soo was going to hug him too, but she only shook his hand for a long time. In return he gave her a truly valuable present - a three-volume edition of _The Means of First Aid Using Local Herbs_. Other doctors would have killed a dozen men for this book without batting an eye.

Eun-soo was so exited clutching the books that it seemed she could have not noticed Choi Young's departure.

While Eun-soo was busy (she kept asking Sang-hun questions, fingered the bottom of Deo-ki's vest, checked the contents of numerous bowls, smelt the herbs) Choi Young left her and looked for Shin-don to finally talk about the wedding. The monk had to choose the right day and conduct the ceremony himself.

The Court lady Choi intercepted him on the way back.

"It's painful to look at you," she said and took his hand. It was strange: usually his aunt touched him only to hit. "My eyes are watering from the light shining from the inside out."

He had to do something about his face. He was scowling all the time, but it didn't help matters.

He checked into the Woodalchi barracks, washed, dressed, packed dresses for Eun-soo and went to the hospital.

He'll tear her away from Sang-hun by force if the need be.

She left him alone already, though, and went to her room, read _The Means of First Aid_ and scribbled notes on a clean sheet of paper in her strange hieroglyphs. Her hair was wet, she murmured to herself and frowned.

"About my departure..."

It was more difficult than he thought. They've only just met, but had to part again. He'll explain everything to her, and she'll understand. But as luck would have it the right words deserted him.

Eun-soo looked at him and smiled.

"Daejang," she said gently, "I hope you don't think that you became famous in Heaven because you were always clinging to my skirts. Oh, I need a translator," she added helplessly nodding at the book. "It's too complicated."

"I brought you clothes."

"Really?"

She touched the fabrics and tried the dresses on with the curiosity of a child. It was somewhat offending. She could at least pretend to be upset.

"You know the way Shin-don will die, don't you?"

Eun-soo nodded and put the clothes on a bench. She came closer and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. All the stupid grudges faded away, Choi Young was even somewhat ashamed of his pettiness.

She understood and accepted everything because she was smart and strong. And he was a fool as usual.

"I can't interfere," Eun-soo said. "I'll only heal people, nothing more."

Choi Young hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

'I won't interfere' was easier said than done, especially for her.

 

* * *

 

Several days before the departure passed in a blur. The wedding was two and a half months away, it was scheduled on Chuseok. Choi Young threatened Shin-don in vain: the monk was adamant, he quoted both Buddha and the court astronomer Kang-boe. And if Choi Young could persuade Kang-boe, there was nothing to be done about Buddha.

The King restored Eun-soo to the position of the court doctor which made her an official of the fourth rank. The Queen was displeased that it was too low status, but Eun-soo didn’t care. She was calm and gentle during those days. Only during the last night when it was time to leave she whispered into Choi Young’s lips, "Everything will be fine, go."

"The Suriban will look after you, but don’t walk alone in town anyway. Visit the gardens with guards too. It will be better if you don’t leave the palace at all."

She laughed and pulled him by the hair. He smiled, but still felt uneasy.

The army waited for him west of the Yalu river, the campaign was going to be a difficult one. He had to talk to the captains again, see the soldiers and explain to them that Yuan soldiers were people too who died as easily as anyone else, but the only thing Choi Young thought about on the way to the border was how to return to the capital as fast as possible.

It took a long time: it was raining, both armies stuck in the mud, the river overflowed its banks. The campaign seemed endless. Daejang thought that the rain’d never stop and he’d be late for his own wedding.

Roads were muddy, even the letters stopped arriving. Choi Young’s army lost all contact with the capital, the people were lost under the grey skies. The army monk was killed, Choi Young had to read the prayers for the dead himself. Those left alive were terribly tired, hungry and cold. They were thinking about turning back when the Yuan army finally wavered.

After the victory Choi Young still had to place sentries, house the army and such. He was able to leave only a week later. He left for Gyeongwon with a small party, the rest of the warriors watched them longingly, everyone wanted to drink at Daejang’s wedding. If the bride didn’t change her mind, that is.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sogkadhab and the Pagadja temple are actual places, but the spelling of these words is a figment of my imagination, I couldn't find any references to them on the Internet. Does it sound familiar to anyone? How is it actually spelled in English?

The galloped like madmen. When it seemed that neither men, nor horses could make another step Choi Young was willing to drag them all, dry the mud on the road, fold the road, make the sun stay in the sky so their company didn’t have to stop for the night.

He couldn’t do it, of course.

He was frightened because he didn’t receive any letters or news from the capital. People from villages along the road never heard anything about the Heavenly doctor. It wasn’t like Eun-soo to say indoors for six weeks. She must have created a charmlike salve, visited the market, cure another dying man, mustn’t she?

Ten warriors of escort stopped joking and talking, it was unnerving, but Choi Young couldn’t bring himself to speak up first.

Why did he think that when Ki Cheol died and Teok-heung stopped poisoning Eun-soo right and left, her life would become easier? Why did he think that he’d be able to defend both his country and his woman?

These were bad thoughts, the Great Doctor wouldn’t have liked them. These were the thoughts of a weak man who still wasn’t sure that he made a right decision. These were treacherous thoughts because Eun-soo didn’t have any doubts. Meanwhile she was also going crazy not hearing a word from him, wondering if he was dead or alive. The fact that she visited his grave and knew the date of Choi Young’s death didn’t make the waiting easier. But she never doubted him.

He didn’t want to have any regrets.

That’s why he was in a hurry and kept his mind off the guilt and bad feeling that hovered over him like scavenger birds over a battlefield.

Where did these bad feelings come from, for god’s sake? He wasn’t a shaman.

But when a slight figure jumped out of the bushes at the walls of Gaegyeong and ran to him so fast that the bow was whipping behind his back Choi Young realized that he was late.

The Suriban wouldn’t have sent a messenger outside the city walls if everything was fine.

Something went wrong.

Choi Young dismounted, the horse almost reared up.

"She’s not in the palace," the boy messenger said and jumped aside in case Daejang’d start a fight.

Choi Young didn’t want to.

"Where is she?"

Choi Young blinked just once, and the King sent Eun-soo away. This country had a bad history with kings.

"The Great Doctor is in Sogkadhab."

"What?"

That was a rhetorical question, everything was clear.

Many years ago the Dowager Queen, mother of this boy who was the King now, moved to Sogkadhab. Choi Young vaguely recalled her. He was a child then, but his commanding strong father feared this cunning and evil woman. She stopped interfering into the affairs of state long ago, but still kept track of the goings on in the capital. Choi Young personally questioned her spies several times. When her son became the King, the Queen Mother refused to return from self-imposed exile referring to frail health. Lives of Gongmin and his family weren’t worth much back then. Her wish to stay away was quite understandable.

Well, now she changed her mind and started her own game. Eun-soo became a pawn again.

 "Tell me everything you know."

"There was a message from Sogkadhab that the Queen Mother was very sick, doctors were fearing for her life. She asked her son to send the Great Doctor as the last hope. The King couldn’t refuse."

Why couldn’t the King go with her?

This wasn’t the time to dwell on filial duties, though.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"The Court lady Choi said that Shin-don went with the Great Doctor. He vowed in front of Buddha to protect her with his own life."

Buddhist monk Shin-don, a son of a nobi. He was a large and clever man who could kill with his bare hands, but a while ago he made a vow not to touch any weapons. He didn’t become any less deadly, though.

Now Choi Young was able to breathe.

"Choong-seok! You’ll go to the palace and report to the King about the situation with the Yuan."

"But Daejang…"

"Tell them I’m going to fetch my bride. Dae-man! You’re going with me."

"Yes, Daejang."

"But, Daejang, you need to talk to His Majesty in person…"

He’d have killed Gongmin if he met him in person now.

How did the Queen allow this to happen?

These were only emotions. A king or a fisherman couldn’t refuse his dying mother.

Sogkadhab was deep in the mountains of the North. It was possible that Choi Young would have to leave horses with Dae-man and walk there. How much time would it take?

He expected to arrive to a wedding, but had to travel some more.

It happens.

 

* * *

 

They stepped out of murky twilight quite unexpectedly, Choi Young didn’t hear or smell them. Five monks were dressed in identical clothes, their heads were bare. Their hands were covered by long sleeves. It was possible that these servants of Buddha were very well armed.

Or they preferred to break bones with their bare hands like Shin-don.

"Who are you and what are you looking for in our temple?"

"I’d like to talk with Her Highness."

The monks looked at each other resembling the ever-curious Woodalchi.

"Are you Daejang?" the youngest monk asked.

"Yes."

"We were expecting you."

Choi Young didn’t explain that Buddha wasn’t so judgmental about his guests.

The doors were so heavy it took three monks to open them.

The stone pagoda of Sogkadhab was squeezed against the Pagadja temple, the night air caressed spires and slanted roofs. Walls decorated with lotus flowers stood too close to each other. There was little space available for building on top of the mountain.

"Her Highness is resting. She’ll receive you tomorrow," the youngest monk said.

"Can I see the Great Doctor?"

The monk frowned.

"She’s praying."

That was a new one.

"Can I pray too?"

"Of course," the monk brightened up. "You can pray here and now. Buddha will hear you wherever you are, he’s kind to great warriors."

The wish to pray suddenly disappeared.

"I will see the Great Doctor whether you allow it or not," Choi Young warned him sincerely.

"She mentioned that you’re bad-tempered," the monk moped. "But you won’t start a fight in a holy place, will you?"

“Sure I will."

At least Eun-soo was alright if she threatened everyone with Daejang.

On the other hand, she didn’t sink to such behavior if she wasn't in trouble.

"Well, you can try," the monk agreed after some thought. "They don’t open the door to us anyway."

It turned out that Eun-soo and Shin-don barricaded themselves in the prayer hall, were refusing to leave or let anyone in. They’ve been sitting there for three days now, eating up the food the abbot stored in case of sieges or fasts.

"The Great Doctor called it ‘a strike’," the monk added sadly.

"What did you do to annoy her so?"

"Women!" the monk said thoughtfully and stopped before the next turn. "I won’t go any further. The last time I did I was hit by a candlestick."

Choi Young crossed the corridor, approached the door and listened.

"…King!” he heard Shin-don cry out. He probably thought that Gongmin was a disrespectful son and a bad friend too.

"Ace," Eun-soo replied excitedly.

That was strange. Choi Young knocked.

"We’re busy!" Eun-soo shouted.

"We have some oil bowls left," Shin-don said. "Who wants to have another bruise?"

There was a noise, and the Shin-don’s face flashed in a small window near the ceiling.

"Oh…" was the only thing he said upon seeing Choi Young. His face disappeared, the noise increased. Finally the door opened a crack, Shin-don grabbed Cho Young by the belt and pulled him inside. Then the monk piled benches to block the door again. Choi Young wasn’t paying attention to him.

Eun-soo stood in the middle of the hall with papers lying at her feet. She lost weight, but looked healthy.

"You came!" she said simply.

While Choi Young contemplated whether to hug her with Shin-son panting behind his back, Eun-soo already hugged him.

"What happened here?" Daejang asked and kissed her ear.

"That old hag…" Eun-soo spluttered.

"The Queen Mother," Shin-don translated.

"She refuses to have an operation!"

"Operation is when a person is cut open with a knife," Shin-don explained.

Eun-soo shook her head irritated.

"She needs to have the gall-bladder removed! And she says: treat it with herbs and acupuncture!"

"She promised to have us whipped," Shin-don informed him. "But we didn’t let them."

"Oh, I’m so mad!" Eun-soo grabbed her hair and walked around the hall. "I should have said that I passed the exam on abdomen only on fifth attempt!"

"She always talks like this," Shin-don sighed, "One word in Korean, ten words in Heaven tongue. I’m so glad to see you, Daejang!"

"I’m sorry," Choi Young said. She stopped and glared at him.

"What do you have to do with it? The old hag…"

"The Queen Mother."

"…has calculi in a kidney! That’s why she’s in pain! She also has biliary colics. And she says: treat it with herbs! As if I know which ones are used for it!"

"Thank you for looking after her," Choi Young said to Shin-don.

The monk waved it away, "Now you’re on your own. I’m going to Buddha to get some sleep."

"What?!"

Eun-soo laughed.

"Do you see that big statue? There is a door in its belly. The food is stored there."

Choi Young shook his head not quite understanding what she was talking about. He took Eun-soo’s hand just to make sure that she was here, alive and well.

"The old hag has to go to the Royal hospital," Eun-soo continued anxiously, "Sang-hun can help."

"His eyes are blue!" Choi Young flared up. "His mother must have sinned with a water spirit."

“In Heaven…"

He didn’t listen to the speech about the ways of Heaven. He touched her face and kissed her lips while she still tried to say something. Eun-soo touched his back, then suddenly fluttered, "What about your war? Were you hurt?"

“I’m alright."

"Me too," she smiled. "Were you frightened?"

"Yes."

"Don’t take offense at the King, nothing could be done about this."

"Kings are not to be taken offense at, but to be served."

Eun-soo pulled him down on a blanket laid out near a wall. Choi Young sat down, she cuddled with him.

"This is good," she mumbled tiredly. "I was beginning to worry…"

He‘s almost gone mad at the border while she thought if it was time to worry a little. Choi Young smiled and kissed her hair.

"Rest," he said. "Tomorrow will be a difficult day."

"It will be an easy day," Eun-soo yawned. "You are here."


	8. Chapter 8

Eun-soo immediately baffled him.

"Tell me about the war," she said.

Choi Young had no idea what to tell her, all the days at war blurred into one bloodied mess, he could only remember worry and grim concentration. He couldn't tell her that Kim Cheok singlehandedly stopped ten Yuan soldiers and died of wounds, he didn't even see his newborn son.

"It's fine," he said awkwardly and suddenly remembered that he reeked of sweat and horses, the armour seemed to be glued to his skin. He should have found some water to wash before coming here, but he was too busy.

Eun-soo, ignorant of his regrets, chewed a biscuit, her eyes were shining. Shin-don's mighty snores boomed from the Buddha's belly. Only people with clear conscience sleep so soundly.

The sun wasn't going to rise in several hours. It was too long, Choi Young had to remember not to come to close to her, not to kiss her, otherwise he'll have to stop and he wouldn't be able to.

"Boo," Eun-soo said. "Why are you so cross?"

"I'm tired," he replied feeling like a fool and turned away.

 

* * *

 

The time turned the Queen Mother’s face into a rigid mask. Her black hair was pulled back into a bun, her too big hands gave away her not so noble ancestry. The only symptoms of sickness were bags under her glaring eyes and yellowish skin.

"Daejang Choi Young," Her Majesty said solemnly. "The one and only."

She rose from her high chair and walked around kneeling Daejang.

"Rise," she said severely.

He stood up and looked her almost straight in the eye: the Queen Mother was exceptionally tall.

"So, you're that boy who made sure my son ruled this country, aren't you?"

"King Gongmin is a worthy ruler."

"And this sassy girl is your bride?"

"The Great Doctor will soon become my wife."

"I don't doubt it," the woman murmured still looking him over with evident appreciation. "Where is that godless man?"

"I'm here," Shin-don replied. Eun-soo was peeking around his shoulder. Choi Young felt uneasy: he was so used to Eun-soo hiding behind his back.

"Bring me some water," the Queen Mother ordered him and returned to her chair. She drank, then tried to catch her breath for several minutes as if the simple act of drinking were a hard work.

"Daejang Choi Young, why did you come to Sogkadhab?"

He silently asked the King's and the Queen's forgiveness before answering.

"I came here to escort you to Gaegyeong, Your Highness," he said firmly. Shin-don stared at him while Eun-soo nodded in agreement. "The Great Doctor informed me that you can improve your health in the Royal hospital. And," he gulped, "the King Gongmin thinks your separation lasted too long."

The Queen Mother laughed loudly as if she were twenty.

"Well," she said merrily, "Is a daejang, a monk and a doctor an escort worthy of me?"

 

* * *

 

She gathered her things so fast that Choi Young suspected that everything was packed long ago.

 

* * *

 

He barely had a chance to send Dae-man to the capital to warn the royal couple about this unexpected joy when he fell prisoner to the old hag. She never let him step away from her during the whole route asking questions about the life at court. Eun-soo and Shin-don were spared of such attention and were riding ahead. The wind sometimes carried their voices to him. Choi Young could only grind his teeth, politely answer the Queen Mother's questions and glare at his woman who spared him a pitying glance from time to time.

 

* * *

 

The Court lady Choi summed up the mood of the court quite nicely by clipping her nephew around the ear so hard that his ears rang.

 

* * *

 

Eun-soo got immediately lost in the bustle of the court. Choi Young went to the barracks to take off the armour, wash away sweat, dirt and wariness before the King summoned him. No one doubted that it would happen.

There was the audience (it had a lot in common with comforting a small boy who was forced to deal with a strict nanny), the report of the Woodalchi and a visit to the hospital (the Court lady Choi kicked him out. How could she be in a hundred places at the same time?). Then  Choi Young returned to his room in a condition that was close to what he felt after a battle: the blood was almost boiling, but he was falling over from exhaustion.

He threw the sword on the table and looked out of the narrow window into the dawn.

He had a dreary and unpleasant feeling of everything going sideways.

What was he to do? He couldn't leave them, the Queen Mother and Eun-soo, in the mountains. Even the King agreed with that.

She was just a sick elderly woman. She couldn't put the court to a lot of trouble.

Choi Young shook his head getting rid of worries, turned around and started undressing. He stopped in mid-gesture looking at the woman sleeping in his bed.

He was afraid to wake her, but desperately wanted for her to wake up on her own. It was dawn, the new day almost started when court ladies, doctors, monks, warriors, kings and queens would stand between them. Now, though, it took several step and disturbed sleep to be together.

He could have stood like that till morning, but Eun-soo opened her eyes as if sensing his unvoiced plea.

She blinked, smiled widely and said in a hoarse voice, "Oh, you're here. I waited for you... I escaped through a window, can you imagine that?"

He couldn't. She was so tired during the travel that she barely looked at him. Choi Young was worried again: did she need him, ever sullen and ever busy soldier? It didn't matter anymore.

Choi Young approached the bed and kneeled. He touched her hair and kissed her face.

"You know," she said, "now my whole life consists of waiting for you. And I'm happy."

He lay in the bed cradling her. The day was several hours away, they still had time. It was so important to feel her close.

It felt so much like the water breaking through a rock fall and filling the river bed, bringing life.


	9. Chapter 9

Choi Young wanted to leave while Eun-soo slept, but she woke up and sat in bed. She was cheerful as if she slept at least six hours.

"You must kiss me before you leave," she instructed.

He stepped away from the door and kissed her long and hard. He seriously considered resignation, kings and their business took too much of his time.

"Couples in love," Eun-soo continued, when she could speak again, "kiss before each parting and after each meeting, and any other time they want."

"Is that what people are taught in Heaven?"

"Of course, a million doramas were filmed about it!"

"Doramas?"

"It’s a sort of movie… Like theater! Do you know what a theater is? A performance, a show! Oh, don’t look at me like that. We’ll need to stage a play. I’ll be Ophelia!"

 

* * *

 

He listened to reports of his agents and thought about Eun-soo in a white dress with flowers in her hair. He was only a little upset that she drowned in the end.

 

* * *

 

The King summoned him again before dinner and mumbled that the wedding had to be postponed. The Queen pressed her lips together, at that moment she was no obedient wife. Eun-soo and the Court doctor Sang-hun were present, the Queen Mother sat by a table nearby.

Choi Young felt Eun-soo’s eyes on him, but couldn’t look at her. He had to deal with the King first.

"Postpone?"

In other circumstances he’d have pitied His Majesty: he couldn’t look Choi Young in the eye, he was sweating and fingering the tablecloth. Today, though, rage forced out all other emotions from Choi Young’s heart.

"Mother wants to be a guest at your wedding too."

"That awful girl," the Queen Mother said from her corner, "put me… where did you put me?"

"On a diet," Eun-soo replied. Choi Young definitely heard laughter in her voice.

He shouldn’t have asked, but couldn’t help it.

"Where is it? How long should one be there?"

"The right diet is very important for curing problems with gall-bladder," Sang-hun said solemnly staring at Daejang with his weird eyes.

"You decided to starve an old and frail woman," the Queen Mother summed it up.

This old frail woman already contacted several officials this morning – the ones who opposed Gongmin’s policy on land distribution. Choi Young didn’t like to gather counterintelligence (it was much more fun to chase Yuan armies), but he had to figure out who she was writing to.

"Don’t worry," Eun-soo said as if they were alone, and no royalty was present. "Doctor Sang-hun and I will quickly cure Her Highness."

"And soon she’ll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of Sogkadhab again," the Queen added.

In Daejang’s experience such old hags visited mountains again only during the funeral procession.

Everything was slipping out of his control again.

"Now, tell me how to make hair masks," the Queen Mother demanded of Eun-soo.

The audience was over for Daejang.

 

* * *

 

Out of despair Choi Young went to the Suribang. The aunt gave him some soup and sincerely offered to poison the old witch.

"I don’t want Eun-soo to be blamed for her death!" Choi Young flared up.

"Then she can be strangled," the uncle nodded good-naturedly.

 

* * *

 

The winter was in the air, all the military operations were put on hold until spring, part of the army returned to the capital.

The Woodalchi barracks were full of usual bustle: veterans taught new recruits, Daejang looked at it, got bored and walked – well, almost ran – to the Royal hospital.

Eun-soo wasn’t there. The Queen and she went shopping.

That word meant trouble. Choi Young already knew about it. Dae-man already told tales: the ladies have been receiving all sorts of merchants for the last two hours. No one knew if they’d ever finish this ‘shopping’.

"And this scarlet piece… Such wonderful stitching…"

"Men and their mothers. I had a boyfriend once… Enough about me. Tell me, Your Majesty, was the arch of respectful son already built in Gaegyeong?"

"Yes, Great Doctor," the Court lady Choi bowed. "It’s situated in a village near the capital."

The women who were busy comparing silks didn’t pay attention to Daejang.

"The arch of respectful son?" the Queen asked.

Eun-soo smiled.

"I’ve read this legend once when I was in school. Once there lived a man, and his mother was very sick. He tended to her day and night, but she wasn’t betting better. Once a Buddhist monk came and said that the man should prepare broth out of meat of his own son."

The Queen gasped, the silks rippled to the floor.

"The respectful son thought: _If I lose a child, I can always have another one. But if I lose a mother where will I get another?_ _In this case I must sacrifice my son in order to save my mother_."

"It can’t be!"

"The man followed the advice and gave broth to his mother. In fact, the mysterious monk gave the man a root of ginseng. In memory of this story the arch of respectful son was built."

The Queen was silent for a long time stroking stitched birds, then smiled.

"I see now why you mentioned this story."

Choi Young was more interested in Eun-soo’s boyfriend and reasons she still remembered him.

 

* * *

 

They walked in the evening after dark. Eun-soo stumbled on the uneven ground, grabbed Daejang’s sleeve and didn’t let it go. The Queen was thoughtful and determined which inspired some hope. The King didn’t even show up.

"His Majesty wishes to see you," one of the secretaries said.

"I’m too tired," the Queen sighed.

Eun-soo tugged Choi Young’s sleeve.

"I need to go to the old hag. She demanded that Doctor and I slept in her room."

"Doctor and you?"

"I’m doing everything I can," Eun-soo replied quickly. "Don’t look at me like that."

"I already miss you," he said sincerely.

She smiled, looked around and quickly kissed him.

"I’ll try to come home tonight. Sang-hun said he knew a great sleeping draught."

"Don’t accidentally poison her," Choi Young said remembering the Suribang aunt.

"I took the Hippocratic Oath, blast it."


	10. Chapter 10

Eun-soo didn’t come that night, even though Choi Young waited till morning.

They didn’t see each other during the day too: Eun-soo was constantly by the Queen Mother’s side. If the Court lady Choi was to be trusted, Her Highness drank antidotes – just in case – before taking any medicine. So sleeping draught, cholagogue or any other medicines gave zero effect.

By nightfall it became clear that the King avoided Daejang. His Majesty hid behind long meetings or needing peace and quiet to write decrees. He just couldn’t find the time for Choi Young.

There was only one person left who would side with him. The young Queen received him immediately.

"His Majesty," she said lowering her eyelashes, "can’t stand up to his mother."

Well, Daejang was under the impression that the King finally became an adult. It turned out he was the same frightened child who was clinging to his sword taking the first steps toward the throne.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked the Queen frankly.

She sighed. The people of Yuan respected their elders too.

"I’ll get sick, of course," she replied gravely.

 

* * *

 

The Court lady Choi came to him at night.

"You must stop her," she said agitated.

It didn’t even occur to him to ask who the aunt was talking about.

"Do tell."

"She decided to perform the operation on the Queen Mother without her consent."

"Does she plan to tie her?"

"She plans to make her sleep with the help of gases."

The legacy of a good man and a brilliant doctor Jan Bing could become a weapon in capable hands.

"Let’s go," he said.

The Court lady Choi continued her tale, "The Queen Mother was feeling worse. The Great Doctor was afraid that her gall-bladder would rip, and bile would cover all the internal organs."

"If the witch survives this she’ll execute the Great Doctor for cutting her open."

"I agree."

Choi Young stopped so abruptly that the Court lady Choi recoiled.

"Go to the Queen," he said quietly. "Let her obtain the King’s order for the operation. I have no idea how."

The Court lady Choi, turned around and walked away.

Choi Young wondered what sort of man was this Hippocrates that Eun-soo stubbornly kept a word she’d given him.

Five monks stood near the doors to the Queen Mother’s rooms. She brought them from the monastery in the mountains. Choi Young recognized the sharp-eyed monk who greeted him at the doors back then.

"Let me pass."

"The Great Doctor ordered not to disturb Her Highness," the monk answered warily and glared. There were precious few people in Goryeo who dared to stand in Daejang’s way, but these idiots were dumb enough to try.

"Oh, the palace is always a-buzz," Shin-don’s voice boomed. Dae-man was dragging him by the sleeve. The man yawned without covering his mouth. "I’ll go back to the mountains, I mean it! Daejang?"

Shin-don blinked sleepily at the monks, Choi Young clutching his sword, Dae-man making strange faces at him. Then he yawned again.

"I had a vision," he said in a bored voice. "Buddha himself stepped off a cloud and willed me to bless Her Highness."

"In the middle of the night?" the monk asked suspiciously.

"Do you think Buddha voices his will according to a schedule?" Shin-don stared back.

"Did Buddha also request Daejang’s presence?" the monk asked mockingly.

"First thing," unflappable Shin-don nodded.

The monks stepped aside shrinking away from Choi Young’s sword and Shin-don’s fists rather than complying with Buddha’s will.

"Aren’t you afraid to become a heron in the next life as a punishment for these lies?" Choi Young whispered when the doors closed behind them.

"It’s a decent bird," Shin-don shrugged good-naturedly.

"Stop right there," Eun-soo said. "You are covered in microbes."

Daejang realized he was late.

 

* * *

 

Eun-soo’s open bag — the one from Heaven — was lying on the doorstep. It was filled with pills.

"I have antibiotics and painkillers," the Great Doctor murmured bending over the table where the Queen Mother was sprawled. "Everything will be fine."

She had antibiotics and painkillers, but she didn’t have a spare dress. Wherever she’s been or wherever she intended to go in case of failure she didn’t plan to stay anywhere long.

How did she live without a home, friends or relatives in strange times? How many years did she spend there?

He didn’t have the guts to ask about it.

It was too painful.

He will ask, though.

It dawned. Shin-don dozed off leaning on the wall, the Royal doctor Sang-hun looked over the Great Doctor’s shoulder.

"Did she drag you into this?" Daejang asked him.

"I enter any house for my patient’s benefit," he replied absentmindedly.

"Hippocratic Oath," Eun-soo explained. "I’m suturing the cut. I’m almost done."

"What do you plan to do when the Queen Mother wakes up and realizes that you robbed her of an internal organ?" Choi Young asked. He was truly curious. Eun-soo must have a plan. She always had several of them.

"I’ll tend to Her Highness," Eun-soo answered, "until she calms down. Also, I think the Queen will feel unwell soon."

"Don’t step away from me," Choi Young warned her just in case. He haven’t slept for three days and wanted to kick Shin-don who annoyed him with his snoring.

Eun-soo straightened, dressed up the suture, stepped away from the table and only then took off a mask.

"Are you getting ready for a fight?" she asked anxiously.

"I just want to be close."

 

* * *

 

The Queen got sick as Eun-soo predicted. Eun-soo barely finished describing postsurgical care for Her Highness when the Court lady Choi announced, "Her Majesty requests the Great Doctor’s presence immediately!"

Shin-don opened one eye and looked at Daejang.

"Stay here," Choi Young told him. "Someone must take care of Sang-hun too, he’s an accomplice in any case."

Shin-don nodded and fell asleep again.

Choi Young couldn’t enter the Queen’s rooms so he stood by the doors keeping the sword close. No one will harm Eun-soo inside, and no one could enter. Good.

The skirts rustled. The Court lady Choi brought him food and sat down closeby.

"Migraine," she pronounced carefully the unfamiliar word. "It’s terrible thing! The Great Doctor says nervous breakdowns lie at the bottom of each and every illness."

"What about the King?" Choi Young said eating up.

"He’s sleeping, he doesn’t know anything. Here’s the order," she held out a paper.

"How did you get it if he’s asleep?" Choi Yoing was amazed.

"A good wife knows her husband’s signature like her own. And the state seal…"

"…was stolen?"

"Easy as a pie, and you know it."

Gongmin had a terrible choice: either he affirms the order and stands up to his mother or refutes it and exposes his wife to risk.

The Court lady Choi suddenly put a hand on his knee.

"You’ll be executed or you’ll finally marry. Either way you’ll need strength."


	11. Chapter 11

King Gongmin, the thirty-first wang of Goryeo, slept in late that morning. It happened because no one in the palace dared to disturb him. The King slept, the Queen, tired of imaginary migraine, slept too. The Great Doctor dozed off by her bed, Choi Young nodded off. The Queen Mother should have slept after the operation too.

She was not easily led, even if it was for her own good.

The Queen Mother woke up and glared long and hard at pale Sang-hun.

"How dare you," she whispered. "I want to see the King immediately."

Everything came into motion.

The Chinese doctor Sang-hun fainted. Shin-don didn't pay any attention to him.

"Her Highness wishes to see His Majesty!" he shouted so loudly that not only the unflappable Court lady Choi heard him behind the doors, but his relatives in his home village probably heard him too.

So when King Gongmin opened his eyes he saw the severe face of the Court lady Choi instead of his wife (which was much more pleasant) or his secretary.

"You need to hurry, Your Majesty," she said.

Two monks behind her back made it impossible to add anything else.

"Your doctors killed me," the Queen Mother said weakly in lieu of greeting.

She did look rather unwell: waxen skin, sunken eyes, pale lips. Deo-ki tried to wipe sweat off her face, but the Queen Mother glared at her so the poor girl almost fainted too.

"You look quite alive, Mother," Gongmin answered tentatively looking at the Court lady Choi and Shin-don, hoping to get some kind of clue.

Shin-don didn't dwell on the matter long and kicked Sang-hun in the shin.

"Get up, you... Explain what you, infidels, did."

The doctor rose, groaning. His knees were so weak that his whole garment was constantly moving.

"Your Highness," he mumbled, "you were so sick at night that you lost consciousness..."

Deo-ki couldn't take his disgraceful cowardice anymore, jabbed him making him straighten and rose her chin showing an example of doctors' courage.

"We were afraid we'd lose you," Sang-hun finished, "that's why we had to go to extremes."

"You cut me open and took my gall-bladder out, didn't you? Where is it now? Did you give it to nobi?" the Queen Mother asked.

"The Great Doctor had His Majesty's permission," the Court lady Choi added quietly.

"What?" the Queen Mother hissed.

"Did she?" the King sounded surprised.

The Court lady took a document out of the sleeve and handed it to Gongmin.

He read it thoroughly biting his lip and frowning.

"How could you let them?" the Queen Mother whispered. "I'll curse... Bring her here... Whip..."

"Her Highness is always like that," Shin-don said to Sang-hun. "If anything doesn't suit her she goes for the whip. You can hide in the Buddha's belly too."

"Is it metaphorical? Do you mean death?!"

"The Great Doctor is at the Queen's bedside, Her Majesty is sick," the Court lady Choi said. Several monks silently left the room.

"What?" the King gasped.

"Is she?" the Queen Mother snorted suspiciously.

"You need to rest, Your Highness," Shin-don said almost sweetly. "Deo-ki will take care of you. And you can whip Sang-hun later... It seems he's the only one who knows how to treat you."

The Queen Mother was silent. She was too weak to protect herself.

She'll get well, though, and all hell would break loose.

 

* * *

 

The monks were lying unconscious at Choi Young's feet as usual.

"Your Majesty." Gongmin saw an apology in his formal low bow. He nodded and hurried to the Queen.

Eun-soo stumbled into the corridor very soon.

"Don't trip," Choi Young warned and caught her elbow. The Great Doctor crouched and touched the monks' necks.

"They're alive," Choi Young flared. "Don't even think about healing them."

Eun-soo looked up at him, "You looked manlier with a pink bundle under your arm, didn't you?"

"What?"

"Maybe we should start running around the forest again."

 

* * *

 

Choi Young'd studied every crack on the floor and every pattern on the walls during the next two weeks. He'd stood barely moving, from time to time changing places with some Woodalchi and ignoring the monks, who kept walking by.

The business was familiar, he used to bear it easily. He used to stand allowing the time to pass by.

Now it was difficult because blood was running through his veins reminding him of the woman behind the nearest wall.

While he was standing here she breathed, moved and smiled, the Queen could endlessly listen to the sound of her voice. Sometimes Eun-soo took pity on him, stepped into the corridor and gave him a quick kiss, a handshake or a piece of fish pie.

Daejang and the King had dates at night: the women, rotting away in the captivity of the false sickness, dressed as female guards and waited for their men in deep shadows of trees.

They hid from the royal guards and the sneaking monks. Every rustle made the King jump, the Queen smiled and seemed to be happy.

Choi Young saw Her Highness on the fifteenth day. She shuffled down the corridor majestically, leaning on Shin-don and Sang-hun.

"I wish to see the Queen," the elderly woman announced severely.

Choi Young stepped away and followed them in. If Shin-don could enter so did he.

Eun-soo stood in the middle of the room and waved her hands.

" _Jack! Jack!_ And he's like, _Rose_. And the water was filling the compartments... Oh, hello."

The Queen hastily pulled the coverlet up.

"You're already up! The skin tone is healthy, the pupils are clear," the Great Doctor quickly examined the old hag.

"Behead her, Daejang," the Queen Mother ordered recoiling.

Choi Young didn't move a muscle.

"Do you take the pills?" Eun-soo shook her head in disapproval. "Did you have a fever? Apparently you didn't, otherwise I'd have been informed. You're getting better, Your Highness."

The Court lady Choi brought a chair for Her Highness.

"I'm too weak to greet you properly," the young Queen whispered. "Don't behead my doctor or I'll die, and your son will become a widower."

"Your empty belly is no use for the throne," the harridan snorted. "Name another reason for me to keep the Great Doctor alive."

"Apart from gratitude of a normal human being?" Eun-soo inquired blandly and looked sideways at Choi Young. "What was the reason the last time? Ah yes, the Great Doctor, being close to the throne, wins the favour of the people for the King which creates his positive image... I mean, reputation... works for his greater glory, that is."

"Is that so?" the Queen Mother watched Eun-soo intently. "How old are you? Are you healthy?"

Choi Young realized where the old hag was heading sooner than the others and held his sword tighter suppressing all emotions.

"What?" Eun-soo asked perplexed. If she'd only looked at him! But she kept staring at the old witch.

"If you add to the glory of my son, I believe, you must become his wife instead of this sickly Yuan girl."


	12. Chapter 12

'This sickly Yuan girl' promptly rose from the bed and kneeled before her mother-in-law. The sudden display of health made the Queen Mother snort.

"Don't you know," Her Majesty asked almost humbly, "that the Great Doctor is betrothed?"

"I think that inconvenience can be solved..."

"Do you?"

Eun-soo almost opened her mouth, but had the presence of mind to look at Choi Young. He smiled and shook his head. This problem would be solved before the woman from Heaven spoke her mind. He stepped forward and kneeled near the young Queen. His heartbeat was deceptively calm, almost lazy.

"I'm not planning to give up this woman," he said curtly.

"Planning?" the Queen Mother asked. "Shouldn't a daejang follow the King's orders?"

"Well, Your Highness, you've spent too much time in the mountains, away from center of decision-making," Her Majesty smiled.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Only that my husband still needs his armies. The war with Yuan is in full swing, and Daejang Choi Young is highly respected by his warriors."

"Daejang!"

He looked up and stared into angry eyes of Gongmin's mother. He got an enemy till the end of times there and then, he wouldn't be able to win a fair fight against her. He wouldn't be able to send her to prison, and she'll never follow any sort of rules. One wrong word could mean constant grave danger for Eun-soo, if he'd look away only for a moment no one in the whole of Goryeo would be able to guarantee her safety.

"I am certainly loyal to my King," Choi Young said slowly. "As I am loyal to his family. I'm willing to sacrifice my life and the lives of my warriors for each of you. But, You Highness, will you be able to look forward to the future with such haughtiness if you knew that you brought into this world and raised a liar, and put a liar on the throne? Does this country deserve such a ruler, and does a mother deserve such a son?"

"What?"

"I've promised to wed the Great Doctor to Choi Young," the King Gongmin spoke up. He passed by his mother and helped his wife to stand up. "And I've also promised Her Majesty that I'll love and protect her till my last breath."

The Queen Mother rose from the chair, turned around and walked to the door where she stopped.

"The greatness or unworthiness of a man, his achievements and failures, his fall or rise depends solely on the woman standing behind his back. I hope, son, you understand the importance of you've just done... You, prat!"

Eun-soo perked up immediately realizing that the old hag was talking to her.

"Stop hiding. I won't touch you."

"Do you swear?" Eun-soo asked quickly. "Because I know you people: if you swear something you won't rest until you get rid of me."

"Daejang, are you sure you want to marry her?" the Queen Mother asked doubtfully. "Give me your hand and walk me to my rooms. There are too many monks and Chinese here."

 

* * *

 

Every hour seemed to become an eternity. The annoyed Queen Mother kept Choi Young close till the evening. He never mastered the art of smalltalk so he turned into a pillar of salt and answered curtly when it was completely impolite to be silent. Shin-don, who felt comfortable near the old hag as if he were in a temple, joked about 'a brave warrior standing as tall as his sword' to his heart's content. In vain Choi Young shook his fist at the monk, he didn't care about Daejang's anger.

The Queen Mother was weak as a kitten, though. She was holding on due to her bitchiness and cruel court upbringing. That was why she finally gave up and threw herself on doctors' mercy, and Choi Young could meet with the King. He had a lot to say to Gongmin, but the King was not in the mood to listen. Before Choi Young looked up after a bow he thrust forward an order as a shield or a symbol of peace.

"You'll wed in two months, during Seollal."

The Queen, who was standing by the window, turned around sharply. Her eyes were laughing, but there was sadness too.

"Your Majesty," she said, "why do you make Daejang wait for so long?"

The King frowned, but worked up the nerve to quarrel in front of outsiders.

"Are you going to write the order too?"

The Queen blushed and bit her lip, but stayed silent.

Later, when Choi Young was looking for Eun-soo, he stumbled into Shin-don again.

"Seollal," Shin-don said in his deep voice. "She'll need a lot of warm clothes, your bride!"

He guffawed and ducked away from Daejang's fist.

"How could you..."

Well, it was a wrong thing to do, but Choi Young kept forgetting that Shin-don was a monk, not one of his boys.

He should have put a bell around Eun-soo's neck so he always knew where she was! Running around garden paths didn't suit his status.

Suddenly Choi Young ran into Dae-man sitting in a bush with bright yellow berries. He was occupied with eating the berries. When he saw Daejang he almost choked and stood up.

"Um, the Suribang..." he mumbled. Then he smiled, started crying and hugged Daejang, which was outrageous.

 

* * *

 

His foster aunt greeted Choi Young unkindly. She was standing on the doorstep with hands folded across her chest.

"You finally showed up."

"Yes."

"What makes you think you're welcome here?"

Choi Young wondered what happened to people around him. Did they eat too many berries Dae-man was so fond of?

"I came here for my woman," Choi Young said quite angrily. All the obstacles between him and Eun-soo annoyed him.

"I'm not sure that I'll give this woman to such an irresponsible skulk," the aunt mused.

"What?"

"Everyone needs a family. The Great Doctor too, especially now. You'll wait."

And she shut the door in Daejang's face.

He stared at it for a while seriously contemplating the idea of tearing the place apart.

Then he sat at the doorstep and cooled his burning head against the sword handle.

The strange behavior of people around him finally made sense.

No matter how long he breathed the way Jeokwoldae taught him tears still kept falling.

It was already dark when Eun-soo came out of the house. She sat close and looked at his face.

"I think I was accepted into the family," she said pleased. "It's not official yet because as far as I understand the Suribang are sort of illegal immigrants or even outlaws, but still it feels good."

"Did you eat?" Choi Young asked. His voice faltered.

Eun-soo stared and took his hand.

"Don't worry."

He shook his head refusing to calm down.

"Tell me," he demanded too loudly. "I need to hear it."

She sighed.

"If the divination is to be trusted, even though I'd prefer the ultrasound, it's a boy."


	13. Chapter 13

Eun-soo was content. She nestled into Choi Young sleepily all the way to the temple and wasn't even asking a hundred questions a minute, which was unusual.

His son was growing inside this tiny and brave woman, the whole world became small and unimportant.

Choi Young will teach him to hold a sword and to fish, he'll make a fishing rod for him and explain what faith means. It's not about believing in Buddha, or the King, or someone else, it's about believing in something very important to you.

Choi Young will explain it somehow and teach him to be true to himself among the lies of the palace.

He wished he could leave the capital for several years and go to a place where he could ride horseback and shoot, where there were fields, a river, blue skies and this brave woman.

"Do you want to pray?" Eun-soo asked quietly when they entered the huge temple.

It probably was a blasphemy, but he nodded and kneeled, but not in front of the gods.

He kneeled before his woman to swear fealty to her till the end of times.

Strangely solemn Shin-don appeared (he even wore boots). He looked grim and collected. Dae-man and Cheun-seok were looming over his shoulders.

"I'll be executed for this," Shin-don smirked grimly.

Eun-soo jerked and wavered, leaning heavily on Choi Young's shoulder.

"Did you have a vision?" Daejang asked.

Shin-don waved away his concern and shook his head like a dog after a swim.

"Alright, the wedding it is!" he said more cheerfully.

"What wedding?" Eun-soo sounded surprised.

"Daejang's getting married!" Dae-man cried out, laughed sheepishly and stepped back.

"Now?" The Great Doctor was still amazed.

"Yes," Choi Young nodded and rose to his feet.

"You'll marry now and have the wedding feast in two months as per the King's order," Shin-don nodded.

"It's a... secret wedding," Choi Young explained to bewildered Eun-soo, "only for the two of us. And for him, of course."

She calmed down and touched her belly.

There was a patter of bare feet and jingle of jewelry – the Suribang aunt and uncle entered the temple.

"We're almost late, sister."

"We're always on time, brother."

There was something soothing about the way the Suribang got the information on goings on in the capital. The Court lady Choi will feel ashamed of being late.

His relatives were good and sharp people.

Shin-don cleared his throat.

"Well, is everyone present?"

"I wouldn't say so," Choi Young shook his head.

"We can close the doors from the inside," sensible Cheun-seok proposed.

"Are the Woodalchi going to pay for the repairs in the temple?" Shin-don scowled.

Eun-soo squealed. Choi Young turned around and saw his aunt Choi holding a bundle of clothes. Another woman, wearing a hood and covered from head to toe, was standing nearby. The young Queen obviously liked to run away from the palace.

The women went to change, and Choi Young got bored. That could last till morning. He went outside and wasn't really surprised when he saw the King sneaking toward the temple. The Woodalchi scattered among the nearest bushes.

"I was told that you decided not to obey my order again," the King said.

"I'm sorry."

"I... I understand."

Gongmin's eyes were shining. A while ago he was also glad to hear about his son like Choi Young was now. Daejang got scared, he wanted to see Eun-soo immediately.

"Well... I didn't want to disturb Her Highness... I think she'll forgive us," the King mumbled.

Choi Young thought about imminent surprises of this evening, but didn’t say anything.

Eun-soo in a red gown was probably even more beautiful than usual. Intricate hairstyle, heavy jewelry and shoes with embroided flowers were supposed to make her the best bride in the world.

Daejang didn't care about the finery. He mechanically noted everything that was happening around him: the King's stunned face, a snicker from under the hood, the Suribang whispering, the Court lady Choi snorting, Dae-man sniffling and a loud outburst, "This is a conspiracy!"

"It's only a wedding..."

"A secret one."

The angry Queen Mother arrived with her monks.

This was the quiet, delightful life in the palace where there were more spies than servants.

 

* * *

 

There are moments when past, present and future intersect in one point. And your whole life, from the first cry to the last breath, lies in the palm of your hand like an open book.

It happened during the ceremony the Daejang's consciousness forked: he gave oaths and looked at Eun-soo, but also he saw what will be. There will be many days, many battles, children's laughter, a strong warrior who will carry his mother on his shoulders. There will be many children of this warrior who will have children of their own, and the love between Daejang and the Great Doctor, that shifted time and space, will only grow and turn into legend.

There will be losses: the Queen Mother will have Shin-don executed, and Choi Young will be destined to outlive both Queens and Gongmin, who will go mad. He was destined to serve kings, love his woman, defend his country, raise his son and be executed for it. It will happen when he'll be old and grey – a public execution in the name of the new dynasty that will replace Goryeo.

It will be a good and tough life. Choi Young will survive Eun-soo by eleven days, and he'll bother Yi Seong-gye every hour, "Hurry up!" Yi’s hand will shake when he'll sign the order, and he'll remember the cheerful Great Doctor again, who saved his life so many years ago.

Someday the life of Daejang Choi Young – bright and sharp as a sword – will become simply an old legend.


End file.
